Keying-clamp for flooring or siding.



' A No. 70l,784. Patented June 3, I902.

B. c. B. a c. n. ARNOLD.

KE YING GLAMP FUR FLOOBING 0R SIDING.

(Application filed Sept. 16, 1901.)

(No Model.)

l \/E s. w QZ AFR T UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN F. ARNOLD, OARROLL B. ARNOLD, AND CLAYTON D. ARNOLD, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

KEYlNG-CLAMP FOR FLOORING OR SIDING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,784, dated June 3, 1902.

' Application filed September 16, 1901. Serial No. 75,446. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN F. ARNOLD, CARROLL B. ARNOLD, and CLAYTON D. AR- NOLD, citizens of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Keying-Clamps for Flooring or Siding; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreferencemarked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in keying-clamps by means of which the boards constituting flooring or sid ing in a building are keyed together preparatory to uniting them to the stndding orjoists constituting the framework of a building.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective keying-clamp which may be easily manipulated and operated on either side of a stndding or joist.

Preceding a detail description of ourinvention reference is made to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a perspective view of stndding and siding, showing our improved keying clampinan operativepositionthereon. Figs. 2 and 3 are detached views of the clamp. Fig. 4 is a rear view of a stndding, showing the position of the clamp when keying the siding.

1 designates upright posts or studding constituting a portion of .the framework of a building, or these posts 1 may be the joists of a floor. I

2 designates siding or flooring which has a, tongue-and-groove connection throughout its said handle and is united thereto by means of a nut 8. In theoperation of attaching the dog to the stndding it isessontial that said dog have a freemovement in order that it may engage with the stndding as soon as downward pressure is exerted on the operating-handle 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The operating-handle 5 bears upon or has its fulcrum upon the outer edge of each board, and as pressure is exerted on said handle the said board is pressed or forced into a tight connection with the outer edge of the adjacent board, and in this position the said handle is locked by means of a locking-bar 9, one end of which is pivoted at 10 to a collar 11, which is rigidly secured to the handle, and the other end of said bar 9 is made suit-ably sharp to engage with the stndding, as shown in Fig. 1, to hold said clamp in position, as in Fig. 1, while the workman drives the nails which unite said siding to the stndding.

The device is easy to manipulate. The workman, if he be left-handed, simply grips the handle 5 and throws the dog 3 around the stndding. Owing to the swivel connectionof said dog 3 with the handle 5, it quickly finds its position around the stndding. The workman then presses downwardly upon the handle and the dog 3 moves into an oblique position, as in Fig. 4, in which position the 0p- 'posite edges 3 3 engage with opposite sides of the stndding and firmly grip the same. The continued downward pressure of the .handle forces the outer board of the siding firmly in position. The locking-bar 9 is then thrown up against the stndding, and the clamp is locked in position, as shown in Fig. 1. The workman then nails the siding in such posi tion. If the workman be left-handed, the device is simply placed on the side of the stndding opposite that shown in Fig. 1. This is a very useful feature of the device, as many workman are left-handed and the clamps now of a studding or joist, a handle to which said dog has a swivel connection, and a lockingbar pivoted to said handle and adapted to engage with the studding to lock the clamp in stain operative position, substantially as speci- 2. In a clamp for keying siding or flooring, the combination of a handle, a dog adapted to engage with the sides of a studding or joist, a swivel connection between said dog and handle, the said handle being adapted to engage with the outer edge of the siding or flooring, which edge forms the fulcrum thereof in operating said handle to engage the dog with the studding or joist, and a locking-bar I5 having a pivotal connection with said handle and adapted to engage with the studding or joist to hold the clamp in an operative position, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we al'fix our signa- 2o tures in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN F. ARNOLD. CARROLL B. ARNOLD. CLAYTON D. ARNOLD.

Witnesses:

R. J. MCOARTY, D. W. ALLAMAN. 

